KUALA LUMPUR – With the end of the lockdown and the reopening of Malaysia’s creative economy, two agencies, namely Senilab and 33.3, in collaboration with Pusaka and Kumpulan Kuda Kepang Parit Raja have conceptualised a physical showcase called Cahaya 004 – Kitab Basah.
Scheduled to headline Publika’s December event calendar, it will run from December 18 to 31 at Black Box and G3, West Entrance Black Bridge, both in Publika Kuala Lumpur.
Cahaya 004 – Kitab Basah is a continuation of Senilab’s Cahaya series of showcases and will significantly mark the show’s fourth instalment following the success of its predecessors.
Its past showcases have been held at various landmark events such as Urbanscapes Festival (2018), Sabdha Series (2019), Cahaya X Against Lab Urbanscapes (2019) and Future Rising KL with Shelhiel (2019).
Literally translated as ‘light’, the goal of Cahaya is to reimagine the concept of light by applying it as both a tool and visual outcome to reshape, redefine and represent a space. “Cahaya is an exploration to put forward a deeper understanding of the realm we live in.
"Through our interaction with matter, this content creation allows us to experience, explore and engage in the true meaning of ‘light’ which is sometimes overlooked,” says Taufiq Kamal of Senilab.
With the aim to push non-traditional mediums creatively especially in performance art, Cahaya also aspires to explore intersections where modern and traditional artistry can exist in parallel.
In line with this, a Kuda Kepang dance troop all the way from Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor Darul Takzim, known appropriately as Kumpulan Kuda Kepang Parit Raja have been specially invited to perform at Cahaya 004 – Kitab Basah.
Taufiq explains, “Our ultimate mission with Cahaya 004 – Kitab Basah, in particular, is to preserve our local tradition, history and culture by showcasing them through our sonic and visual reinterpretations.
"This is our way to attract the attention of the younger set to be more aware of Malaysia’s rich cultural diversity especially art forms that are in danger of being forgotten. By combining the performance of Kuda Kepang that has withstood the test of time, with our unique interpretation of how a modern sound and light show should be experienced, we hope that this will create something that is not just memorable, but one that will inspire our next generation and the powers that be to pay more attention towards the importance of art and culture conservation”.
Cahaya 004 – Kotab Basah seeks to understand the enigmatic Kuda Kepang that represents strength, agility and elegance from the language of the practitioners themselves.
According to Zulamran Hilmi of the award-winning agency 33.3 who is in charge of curating the works to be showcased, “You have to watch it with an open mind. Cahaya 004 – Kitab Basah is planned to be showcased as an immersive experiential show.
"Like the Kuda Kepang dancers who invite isim or otherworldly spirits into their bodies, the audience watching the show must also open their hearts and mind to be transformed."
Kumpulan Kuda Kepang Parit Raja’s participation in Cahaya 004 – Kotab Basah is made possible with the assistance of Pusaka, known to champion the traditional arts movement in Malaysia.
According to Pauline Fan of Pusaka, the Kuda Kepang performance that will be performed this December at Cahaya 004 – Kitab Basah will attempt to explore the notion of the unseen world – the experience of trance akin to a brief journey to ‘kayangan’, believed in our culture as the celestial realm, and a place that corresponds to myth, imagination and dreams.
Here, the ‘shadow self’ of the subconscious emerges and is expressed through embodied isim in the protected circle of the ritual space”.
In what seems to be an agreement with Zulamran, Pauline stated that, “We are observers of the show and yet we are an essential part of the performance, for the presence of the unseen world is validated by ‘being seen’ with and through our eyes.
"What worlds (alam) do we see when we watch a Kuda Kepang show? Is it the seen (nyata), unseen (tidak nyata) or the transient interlacing of both? The scripture is as fluid as our own interpretations and individual experiences, hence the name Kitab Basah.”
The Kuda Kepang performance will only be held on December 18 at Black Box Publika, at 2pm and 8pm. They will be supported by three of KL’s most prolific DJs which include Taufiq and Zulamran themselves; and Shfq.
The light and art installation showcase at G3, West Entrance Black Bridge, Publika will commence from December 19 until December 31. Taufiq and his team ensure that full compliance with face mask, hand sanitising and temperature check will be conducted on members of the audience before entering the showcase venue, and that it is only open to those who are fully vaccinated.
The event is supported by MyCreative Ventures, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and Ministry of Finance under the Penjana initiative to reignite the Malaysian creative economy.
“We hope that Cahaya 004 – Kitab Basah will be received positively not just by the arts community but also the public in general. This is our labour of love after almost two years of not being able to organise any physical creative events due to the pandemic. Your support would not just mean the world to us, but also to the art practitioners in this country who are badly impacted by the pandemic”.
For more information, visit www.projectcahaya.com. For real-time news and updates, follow Cahaya on social media (Instagram and Facebook) via the same name @ProjectCahaya.
Admission to Cahaya 004 – Kitab Basah is free and it is only open for those in compliance with the Ministry of Health’s Standard of Procedure terms and regulations. – The Vibes, November 27, 2021
